The Vatican Museums have proudly announced the completion of a significant restoration project involving the Raphael Rooms within the Apostolic Palace. This project, spanning over a decade, unveiled the final and most crucial of these splendidly frescoed reception rooms, marking a milestone for Renaissance art comparable to the esteemed Sistine Chapel.
The restoration initiative uncovered a unique painting technique initiated by the illustrious Renaissance artist and architect Raphael. The technique involved the application of oil paint directly onto the wall, supported by a grid of nails embedded to secure the resin surface for painting.
During the unveiling of this hall, known as the Room of Constantine, museum officials highlighted these discoveries as the last scaffolding was removed. This room, initially painted by Raphael and his protégés in the early 1500s, honors Constantine, the Roman emperor whose conversion to Christianity played a pivotal role in the religion’s spread across the Roman Empire.
“This restoration allows us to rewrite a piece of art history,” stated Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums.
In 1508, Pope Julius II summoned a young Raphael Sanzio from Florence, granting him the opportunity to decorate a private apartment within the Apostolic Palace. This commission came at a peak moment in his artistic career.
Reports from that era suggested that Raphael envisioned adorning these rooms with oil paints instead of frescoes to achieve a more vivid imagery. The decade-long restoration of the Room of Constantine confirmed these reports, according to Fabio Piacentini, one of the lead restorers.
Technicians at the Vatican identified two female figures, Justice and Courtesy, located at opposite corners of the hall, as actual oil-on-wall paintings, distinct from traditional frescoes, thereby firmly attributing them to Raphael himself.
However, Raphael passed away on April 6, 1520, before completing the hall, leaving his students to finish the remaining frescoes. These students, however, struggled with mastering Raphael’s pioneering oil technique, as noted by Jatta.
During the restoration, metal nails were found embedded beneath the plaster frescoes, suggesting Raphael’s plans to paint on a resin surface affixed by these nails, confirmed Piacentini.
“From historical, critical, and technical perspectives, this discovery is groundbreaking,” he remarked. “Raphael’s method was experimental for the period and unparalleled in any other existing oil mural paintings.”
The ceiling of the room, adorned by Tommaso Laureti, represents a notable example of Renaissance perspective with its fresco depicting the “Triumph of Christianity over Paganism.”
Throughout their extensive restoration, the Raphael Rooms remained accessible to the public and are now completely free of scaffolding for numerous visitors flocking to the Vatican Museums, particularly for the 2025 Jubilee.